Childminder in Liverpool

Inspection report for early years provision

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Unique reference number 322215 Inspection date 16/11/2009 Inspector Sharon Verma

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Type of setting Childminder to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 08456 404040, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way.

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Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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T: 08456 404040 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by Ofsted under Sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the quality and standards of the registered early years provision. ‘Early years provision’ refers to provision regulated by Ofsted for children from birth to 31 August following their fifth birthday (the early years age group). The registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for children’s learning, development and welfare, known as the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Introduction

The provider must provide a copy of this report to all parents with children at the setting where reasonably practicable. The provider must provide a copy of the report to any other person who asks for one, but may charge a fee for this service (The Childcare (Inspection) Regulations 2008 regulations 9 and 10).

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Introduction

The setting also makes provision for children older than the early years age group which is registered on the voluntary and/or compulsory part(s) of the Childcare Register. This report does not include an evaluation of that provision, but a comment about compliance with the requirements of the Childcare Register is included in Annex B.

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Introduction

Please see our website for more information about each childcare provider. We publish inspection reports, conditions of registration and details of complaints we receive where we or the provider take action to meet the requirements of registration. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Description of the childminding

The childminder has been registered since 1993. She lives with her husband and three adult children in the Wavertree/Mossley Hill area of Liverpool, close to local parks, schools, shops and transport links. The playroom and dining room on the ground floor and upstairs bathroom are used for childminding. Children also have access to a rear yard.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder is registered to care for a maximum of six children under eight years at any one time, of whom no more than three may be in the early years age range. She is currently minding three children in this age group. The childminder is able to offer care to children aged over five years to 11 years. She is registered by Ofsted on the Early Years register and both the compulsory and voluntary parts of the Childcare Register.

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Description of the childminding

The childminder collects and takes children to local schools and regularly attends toddler and childminder groups, libraries and other places of interest with the children. She is a member of the National Childminding Association and belongs to a local childminder network.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Overall the quality of the provision is good.

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The overall effectiveness of the early years provision

Children progress well in all areas of their development. They access a stimulating play room equipped with a huge range of toys and resources. The childminder has a good knowledge of each child's background and works closely with parents, identifying the children's individual needs in an inclusive environment. She takes suitable steps to evaluate her provision and demonstrates a capacity to maintain continuous improvement, which has a positive impact on the children's welfare, learning and development. There are however, some minor weaknesses in the risk assessment and observation records, and documentation regarding who has parental responsibility for each child has yet to be secured.

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further?

To fully meet the specific requirements of the EYFS, the registered person must:

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further?

 obtain information from parents about who has legal contact with the child and who has parental responsibility for the child. (Safeguarding and welfare) 16/12/2009

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further?

To further improve the early years provision the registered person should:

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further?

 ensure risk assessments cover anything with which a child may come into contact, in this instance the security of the gate in the rear yard This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006  strengthen the links between planning and assessment systems to clearly show how individual next steps are to be planned for and link observations and assessment more closely to the Early Learning Goals.

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the early years provision

The childminder has a very good understanding of safeguarding issues. She has attended up-to-date training, has a detailed policy on safeguarding and is very aware of the procedures to follow should she have concerns about a child. She has detailed risk assessments in place to cover all outings and the different areas of the home which contribute well to children's safety. She has not however, identified the possible security risk to children associated with the gate in the rear yard. The childminder's organisation and management are very good. Her records, policies and procedures are superbly organised and are highly effective in supporting the service. Most of the regulatory documentation is in place. She is committed to continuous improvement; she undertakes regular training offered by the local authority and has just enrolled on a level three National Vocational Qualification in Early Years which will help her to further develop her practice. The

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the early years provision

childminder has started to implement a programme of self-evaluation to ensure that the service continues to develop. Recent improvements include the introduction of regular observations of children's development to track their progress and attendance at a number of training sessions which have helped her develop her knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Issues relating to the previous visit have been addressed, thus improving upon the outcomes for children.

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the early years provision

The childminder works closely with parents and other settings that children attend, sharing information about the children and their care. Thank you cards and letters from parents evidence their satisfaction, with comments such as 'thank you for your help and understanding and always giving that bit extra'. The childminder keeps a record of any special days or events happening at the children's schools so she can help and prepare them, such as, learning lines or new songs for school plays. She organises the resources well with toys for younger children being stored on the lower shelves so they can make choices about their play and develop their confidence and independence. Equipment and wall displays positively promote equality and diversity helping to provide an inclusive environment for children.

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and outcomes for children

Children play in a bright and stimulating environment that is well organised with child size furniture, toy storage, displayed educational posters and children's art work. The childminder has a good awareness of how children learn through play, and is confident in helping them make good progress towards the early learning goals. She enthusiastically supports and motivates the children, using play opportunities to foster their understanding of number, language and literacy. The children benefit from a good balance of well planned activities both inside and This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 outside of the home which encourages them to develop positive attitudes to learning. Activities are based on the childminder's observations of what children like to do and are linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage. The childminder monitors the children's progress through observation. She has started to record

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and outcomes for children

their achievements and uses photographs and recorded comments to monitor their progress. However, the information does not always clearly identify the children's next steps in order to inform future planning.

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and outcomes for children

Children are happy and form close relationships with the childminder. Whilst they are playing the childminder constantly talks to the children, using good questioning skills to encourage their learning. One young child had fun playing with play dough. She enjoyed pulling off the hair which the childminder made for the different characters while learning about colours and shapes through the childminder's questions such as 'which colour do you want green or yellow?' Counting is done as part of the daily routine and through play for example, the childminder asked how many play dough wiggly worms there were, counting out loud 'one, two, three'. Older children enjoy completing jigsaws and the childminder has a very wide selection, which are suitable for all ages. As children become more competent she moves them on to the next level setting realistic challenges which the children strive to meet. Children have regular opportunities for physical play

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and outcomes for children

through outings to places such as Calderstones Park, Yellow Sub and Farmer Ted's as well as access to a selection of outdoor equipment in the rear yard. Children use their imagination well. They re-enact life at home using role-play items, feeding dolls and dressing up using the large section of dressing up clothes available. Children are developing an understanding of other cultures as they celebrate a variety of festival throughout the year. This year during Divali they dressed up in traditional Indian dress, sampled some traditional Indian sweets and listened and danced to Indian music.

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and outcomes for children

The childminder promotes children's health to a high level. She provides nutritionally balanced meals and snacks including fresh fruit and vegetables daily, and avoids processed foods. Her training in food hygiene ensures she is fully aware of the requirements with regard to food safety. She has highly effective health and hygiene procedures to help prevent the spread of infection, such as providing paper towels for children to dry their hands and using gloves to change nappies. The children are learning how to keep themselves safe. They are taught about road safety, stranger danger, how to evacuate the home in an emergency and the importance of not running off when out and about. Children's behaviour is well managed by the clear guidance and positive approach adopted by the childminder, which help them develop a clear understanding of right and wrong. House rules displayed in picture form also help younger children understand what

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and outcomes for children

is expected of them. This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

The key inspection judgements and what they mean

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Annex A: record of inspection judgements

Grade 1 is Outstanding: this aspect of the provision is of exceptionally high quality Grade 2 is Good: this aspect of the provision is strong Grade 3 is Satisfactory: this aspect of the provision is sound Grade 4 is Inadequate: this aspect of the provision is not good enough

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children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

The capacity of the provision to maintain continuous improvement

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and managed?

The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the setting deploys resources 2 The effectiveness with which the setting promotes equality and diversity The effectiveness of safeguarding 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s self-evaluation, including the steps taken to promote improvement The effectiveness of partnerships 2 The effectiveness of the setting’s engagement with parents and carers

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Stage

The quality of the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Stage

The extent to which children achieve and enjoy their learning 2 The extent to which children feel safe 2 The extent to which children adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which children make a positive contribution 2 The extent to which children develop skills for the future 2

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Stage

procedures set out in the guidance available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This inspection was carried out under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the compulsory part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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Annex B: the Childcare Register

The provider confirms that the requirements of the voluntary part of the Childcare Register are: Met

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